When the key fob on my M3 goes low on the battery, I place it into the ignition slot and it charges - the 550 just seems to have a holder within the ashtray without a charging capability - is a new battery the only option?

When the key fob on my M3 goes low on the battery, I place it into the ignition slot and it charges - the 550 just seems to have a holder within the ashtray without a charging capability - is a new battery the only option?

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Very easy to change by yourself. From step two in the above mentioned link, I suggest you put it in exactly as pictured, but instead of pushing firmly, pry gently so the slim part of the metal key slides under the small piece of plastic that clips the cover in place. Use a flashlight to look into the hole and you'll see what I mean. Pushing in too hard may break the plactic off.

BTW, unless BMW has changed their policy, keyfob batteries can be changed at the dealer for free. I had two changes with my E60 but non yet with my F10. Once changed they are under warranty for two years (which is when they mysteriously wear out again).

The "original" batteries in my '07 530xi with CA lasted about 3 years (production date Aug '06) and were replaced by my dealer under warranty. They were working fine when I traded it (December 2012) for my 2013 535xDrive.

Replacements are available in places like Radio Shack (the most expensive), big-box stores (mid-priced) and believe it or not - supermarkets -- Always on sale and since a few of my remote devices use them I buy then when they're on sale. Picked up two 2 battery pack of a name brand (Duracell I think) for $2.27! Such a deal :-)

I don't think so. Warranty doesn't cover consumables except in the unlikely case of a defect. They are covered, if at all, by maintenance program.

Don't remember or care - the dealer replaced batteries in both fobs w/o charge to me since the car was covered under both original factory and maintenance plan. Or maybe it''s because I have been a loyal BMW buying customer for 20+ years and typically refer 5-6 new BMW buyers to them every year because (unlike some horrible dealer stories) they are a world-class dealer that recognizes a world class customer.

if you check the manual, the option to start your car when the battery is down or near gone, i.e. no longer opening the doors, is to press it against the key sign in the steering colum, old place for keys, this way you be able to start the car, and get to a place with a battery replacement. nice feature, never the less I have a backup in my car just in case.

This is maybe an odd question if there's some simple answer to it that I'm missing (probable). But why do we have a keyhole on our doors if our Fobs, from what I know so far at least, have no access to a metal key? What key works in that hole?

This is maybe an odd question if there's some simple answer to it that I'm missing (probable). But why do we have a keyhole on our doors if our Fobs, from what I know so far at least, have no access to a metal key? What key works in that hole?

You have a metal key built-in to the fob - it locks your glovebox, centre console & boot (in some models). I think it's mostly for when you valet park your car.

Hollllly crap. I shoulda known this since my Benz key did the same thing and I was pissed that my BMW key apparently forced me to have to physically undo my key from it when I gave the car to someone to work on.

I tried to find such a way to disconnect it, to no avail.

Kudos to BMW's design team for even designing a KEY so seamless and tight-fit that you can't see where it's supposed to come undone (Mercedes as usual a little more crude and behind the times in implementation.... ironically therefore making it easier to obviously see the actual key and how to un-click it ).

if you check the manual, the option to start your car when the battery is down or near gone, i.e. no longer opening the doors, is to press it against the key sign in the steering colum, old place for keys, this way you be able to start the car, and get to a place with a battery replacement. nice feature, never the less I have a backup in my car just in case.

The key battery is not involved in starting the car. That's why the car still starts when the key battery is dead. But the battery helps you get in your car, so keeping a spare battery in the car is problematic.

Kudos to BMW's design team for even designing a KEY so seamless and tight-fit that you can't see where it's supposed to come undone (Mercedes as usual a little more crude and behind the times in implementation.... ironically therefore making it easier to obviously see the actual key and how to un-click it ).

The boffins at BMW are probably still labouring under the misapprehension that people who buy their cars will read the first couple of chapters of the user manual

The key battery is not involved in starting the car. That's why the car still starts when the key battery is dead. But the battery helps you get in your car, so keeping a spare battery in the car is problematic.

Not sure I agree with you on this one, if you try to start the car with key a good distance from it the car will refuse to start, therefore I think the system in place is down to signals between the two, but you manage to start the car with the battery dead (not able to open the car) because the signal needed to open the doors is a lot stronger than the one for the engine start, hence the option in the manual to put the key against the steering Colum due to the weak signal, this to me make sense since also a battery is never completely dead, a tiny energy will always still be around just on the weak side to complete the task.